David B. Jones was born in Los Angeles in 1928 and grew up in Glendale, CA until he was 17 and then moved to Wayzata, MN where he finished high school. After high school he attend the University of Minnesota where he studied business. For thirty-two years he owned and operated a farm management business in Minnesota. When David was 37 years old he decided to go back to college. It was at Macalester college, after taking a course in geology, that David developed his passion for paleontology. He has since expanded his knowledge and passion with extensive reading, seminars, and hands on experience.

David B. Jones is an American amateur paleontologist specializing in Mid-Tertiary mammals and late Cretaceous marine fossils. He has conducted field research in Utah, Wyoming, and South Dakota and has discovered various dinosaur fossils in Utah and mammal fossils in Wyoming. Since 1976 he has been sharing his knowledge of paleontology with the boy scouts at the Lewis & Clark Scout Camp. He is dedicated to bringing the excitement of paleontology and scientific discovery to the public and this is one of the reasons he began the David B. Jones Foundation in 1998.

David Jones passed away September 6th 2013 doing what he loved best on a paleontology dig in Wyoming. He was loved and appreciated by many who’s lives he touched through his life’s journey. His tireless and enthusiastic participation in the Boy Scout summer camps influenced and encouraged many young men to better understand the geological wonders in our world. He will long be remembered and appreciated by many.